


A Macklin-Snakehole Christmas

by lunabelle



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, F/M, Fluff, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 12:19:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5456318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunabelle/pseuds/lunabelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Andy and April attend a company Christmas party at April's new job, and it's up to Burt Macklin to ensure Ms. Janet Snakehole that all is undoubtably well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Macklin-Snakehole Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [opti](https://archiveofourown.org/users/opti/gifts).



Andy originally thought it was a _little_ odd when April told him they’d be wearing costumes to the company holiday party at her new job. Usually, he just took whatever she said and went with it. She was super smart, and of course she knew more about her own job than he did. But he’d never worn a costume to a Christmas party before and he was a little intrigued.

Then, when he saw her in her go-to Janet Snakehole getup, he relaxed a bit more.

“Babe!” his face lit up. “Does this mean…you know?” He watched her come down the stairs, a slight jaunt in each step she took and a silly grin on her face just for him.

“All I know Macklin,” she purred, in her ridiculous role-playing voice, “is that your suit, tie, sunglasses and FBI jacket are on my bed ready for you, and if you don’t put them on I’m going to have to find some _other_ man to seduce tonight.” She turned away from him dramatically, hiding her smile.

Andy laughed and sprinted up the stairs, only returning when he was dressed and ready to go. He may not know a single person who’d be attending the party, but at least they’d have their game to keep them busy.

 

“Okay, one more time, tell me again.”

They were in the car, making the drive to the Foundation. The party was being held at the office building itself. 

“Okay,” April started. “We tell them we met and fell in love because my dad caught you trying to break me out of my locked tower bedroom, where I’ve been a prisoner because I’m a witch. And you whisked me away on a motorcycle, we got married in the rainforest, and have a house in England. Got it?”

“I…think so?”

“Turn here,” April guided Andy as he drove. “I think it’ll make for a pretty interesting story, don’t you?”

“How do we work the FBI angle in?”

“Oh, that’s right…You’re just Burt Macklin. He’s FBI. No other explanation is necessary.”

“Babe, can’t we just…you know. Be us?” He could practically hear April rolling her eyes, but after a lengthy pause and a frustrated groan, she reluctantly agreed.

“Fine…that’s boring, but whatever.”

“I just thought, you know, you might wanna introduce me as…me?” He looked at her quickly and turned back to the road, catching a snippet of her face in the process—and she was smiling, so he knew she wasn’t mad.

“Of course I’ll introduce you as you,” she said softly. She paused a moment, then added, “You’re still wearing the costume.”

“Deal.” 

 

In the elevator up to April’s office floor, Andy noticed she was gripping his arm tighter than usual. She had a slightly nervous look about her face, and the easy confidence that was so usually obvious at times like these was no where to be found. Andy thought that was odd, especially while she was dressed as Janet. Ms. Snakehole never got nervous.

“Honey,” he patted her arm. “You nervous or something?”

“What?” She looked up at him and shook her head. “No dude, why would I be nervous?”

“Well,” Andy tilted his head to the side as the elevator doors opened. “Call it husband’s superstition—“

“Intuition—”

“Husband’s intuition,” he continued, as they stepped off and down the hall. “But I think you might just be a little tiny bit nervous, you know, because this is your first Christmas party at the new job and you don’t know what to expect…when like, at Parks, we could just pour too much salt in Garry’s hot chocolate and get buzzed on champagne, and you’d switch the Secret Santa gifts around.”

April let out a quiet, breathy laugh and leaned up to kiss his cheek. They were stopped right outside the door to the Main Office.

“Yeah, you’ve got good intuition, babe,” she whispered. “You’re right, as usual. I’m kinda nervous. Nobody’s met you yet aside from seeing your picture, and it’s just weird, because none of these people are our friends. It’s the holidays and I guess I just…not-really-but-actually…miss our old group.”

“I know, sweetheart, I do too.” He turned her so they were face to face. “But we’re gonna see them soon. Next week is Christmas and we’re going to Leslie’s.” He was fully prepared to take her home. The last thing he ever wanted was to have April in a situation she was uncomfortable with. All she had to do was say the word.

April nodded. “I know.” 

“You wanna go in?”

“Yes,” she took a deep breath, adjusted her Snakehole cap and veil, and pushed open the door.

 

Andy had to admit, April’s job seemed _really_ cool. The people she worked with were super nice, even the ones who looked at them oddly at first when they saw them in their costumes. The sunglasses and cigarette holder probably drew a few whispers, but whatever. That’s who they were; that wasn’t going to change for anyone. April made sure to select a nice suit for him to wear under the jacket, for easy transition whenever he felt like it. After a while, April took down her Janet Snakehole up-do and let her black shiny hair fall to her shoulders. She looked amazing…Andy couldn’t stop staring at her. 

He marveled at his wife and the ease with which she carried herself around the place. The nerves from before were gone almost entirely within the first half hour (a little liquid courage in a wine glass certainly didn't make things worse), and April was easily swept up in conversation with her coworkers, pulling him alongside her and never letting go of his hand. He was introduced to everyone, he liked everyone, and surprisingly, so did April. There was no doubt, she had certainly made the right job selection. She’d never seemed like such a natural before in a work environment.

She didn’t even seem to mind when a few of the younger office females started staring at him. Normally, this sort of thing would send her into a possessive fury of sorts, but this time she just let it be, and with a tiny warning grin and a slight narrowing of her eyes, turned her back to the young assistants and continued the conversation with her boss while Andy stood protectively behind her.

Her boss, a nice woman who Andy had only heard April talk about, smiled warmly at him. 

“We absolutely love April,” she said seriously. “She’s such an amazing addition to our team. You must be very proud to call her your wife.”

Andy smiled and nodded vigorously. “She’s the smartest, most amazing person ever,” he agreed, stealing a glance at his suddenly shy-looking wife. “And the best wife ever too… Seriously, she’s awesome,” he added, laughing.

“C’mon,” April led him away as her boss moved on to another couple. “Come see my new office.”

April had been doing so well she’d already been promoted to a higher position, complete with her own space where people reported to her. She led him to a door off the main hallway, pulled it open, and turned the light on. Andy looked around, genuinely impressed.

“Sweet!” he said, examining everything from her desk, to the two side chairs, to the photos hanging on the walls.

“It’s okay,” she said, shrugging. “I didn’t get to choose the wall color…or the stupid wall decorations.”

“Honey, this is amazing though! You have your own office and everything.” He spun around and saw her desk top, with its computer and other devices. He gasped, “You have your own computer?”

“Babe, I had a computer at National Parks, too.” April chuckled softly, watching him explore. He smiled when he saw the several photos of the two of them together she had framed at her desk, and the one of them and Champion. There was even one from the Parks Department, a group photo they’d taken the day of the Unity Concert, way back in the day. It felt like forever ago.

“You’ve got an awesome job, honey,” Andy said truthfully, sitting down at her desk and spinning the chair toward her. “Really…this is perfect for you.”

She nodded, smiling.

“You still feeling nervous?” Andy looked at her questioningly. 

“No, I’m good,” she said. She was still staring at him with a funny half-smile.

“So, what’s up?”

April lowered her eyes and shrugged. “I’m just thinking about what you had to give up for me to come here…you know, our friends, Johnny Karate, our house, Pawnee…”

“Hey, hey!” He pulled her onto his lap in the chair and she leaned back into him, resting her head on his shoulder. “We’ve been over this. I wanted this just as much as you, OK? You have no idea how happy it makes me seeing you do something you love so much.” He kissed her forehead. “This is what you’re meant to do.”

“I know I keep asking you this, but…are you absolutely sure?” She stared up at him with large brown eyes, masking the shades of doubt hidden below the surface.

Andy stroked her hair and nodded. “I am absolutely, one hundred percent sure.”

She lifted her head to get a better look at him, and her mouth brushed against his chin. Andy leaned in and gave her a deep, soft kiss. April wrapped one arm around his neck and ran the other gently through his hair as they shared this quiet moment together in the solitude of her office space, with just the sounds of their kiss and the dulled voices from the main room as a backdrop. Eventually, they broke apart.

April inhaled deeply, and Andy knew she was breathing him in like she loved to do when they were this close. He loved it. He loved her. “Do we have to go back out there right now?” she asked quietly.

“No, Ms. Snakehole,” Andy replied, pulling his glasses out of his suit pocket. “We do not.”

April’s face quickly broke into a smile.

“Macklin,” she replied slowly, sitting up in his lap as he wheeled them over to the window, pulling down the blinds looking out into the hallway and foyer. “What are you _implying?”_ She narrowed her eyes playfully, hands tapping at his shoulders.

“My _only_ question for you, Ms. Snakehole,” he added, and he leaned down to kiss her again. “…is if whether or not this office door has a lock on it.”


End file.
